Tool for piercing eaves trough sections and applying clamp thereto



Aug. 28, 1956 M. w. GIBBONS EI'AL 2,760,211

TQOL FOR PIERCING EAVES THOUGH SECTIONS AND APPLYING CLAMP THERETOOriginal Filed April 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AM m w A Tree/YE Y5 Aug.28, 1956 M. w. GIBBONS ETAL 2,760,211

TOOL FOR PIERCING EAVES TROUGH SECTIONS AND APPLYING CLAMP THERETOOriginal Filed April 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 13 ]NVENT 0R.5

- Mam/w W. 6-1860N5 Y WHY/vs J. 6/880! TOQL FOR PIERClNG EAVES TROUGHSECTIONS AND APPLYING CLAMP THERETO Melvin W. Gibbons and Wayne J.Gibbons, Brandon,

Wis., assignors of one-third to James A. Burke, Brandon, Wis.

3 Claims. (Cl. 7-54) This invention relates to a tool which isspecifically designed for the connection of eaves trough sections. Thepresent application is a division of our application Serial No. 285,236,filed April 30, 1952, and entitled A Method of Clamping Eaves TroughSections and a Clamp and Tool for Connecting Such Sections.

The clamp referred to in our patent application encircles lapping eavestrough sections and has portions which encircle the telescopicallyassociated beads of the eaves trough sections, and a tongue which ispassed through the eaves trough sections behind the beads as a means ofanchoring the clamp.

The tool to which the present application pertains is provided withmultiple jaws and handles for the operation thereof, the several jawsbeing organized to shape the clamping strap to fit about the eavestrough beads, perforate the eaves trough sections while clamped, projecta tongue through the perforation and thereafter offset the tongue whileholding the strap in clamping engagement with the eaves trough sections.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the tool.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the tool.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the tool.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the tool.

Fig. 5 is a view taken in section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view taken in longitudinal sectionthrough the operating end portion of the tool, showing the several jawsseparated.

Fig. 7 is a view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken in section throughthe beaded front marginal portions of lapping eaves trough sections witha clamping strap preliminarily applied thereto, the tool being shown inside elevation in a position of application to the work.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the tool parts in their nextsuccessive position of use.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the tool parts in a positionof use subsequent to that illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Figs. 8-10 showing the next successive stepin the use of the tool.

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of the clamp of the type upon which thetool operates.

Fig. 13 is a view in perspective showing the eaves trough jointcompleted with the use of the tool to apply the clamping strap shown inFig. 12.

Desirably, the eaves trough sections and 21 are not merely lapped buthave their rolled forward margins 22 telescoped together, as clearlyshown in Figs. 8 to ll. The rear margins 23, which are headed, but notrolled, may be lapped and, to reduce the thickness engaged by the strapas hereinafter described, a portion of the lower section 20 may be cutaway at 24, this being optional. In placing the sections together, anysubstantial degree of lap is permissible. Adjacent the end of section21, which is uppermost, a bed of adhesive, such as roofing cement,

nited States Patent() "Ice or asphalt, is desirably applied at 25 to thelower section 20. It is very advantageous that no accurate cutting ofthe sections is necessary, as this eliminates a great deal of measuringand fitting. The eliminated operations have heretofore required a numberof trips between the ground and the situs of the work. The clampcomprises a strap 26 formed at 27 with a bead engaging hook cut from anintermediate portion of the strap. The hook is formed adjacent a rightangle bend 28 in the side portions of the strap at opposite sides of theaperture from which the hook 27 was cut. This clearly appears in Fig.12. The spacing of the hook 27 from the side portions 29 of the strap isjust sufiicient to accommodate the thickness of the lapping portions ofthe trough sections, as clearly appears in Fig. 13.

Beyond the hook 27, the generally horizontal portion 30 of the strap maybe longitudinally slotted with margins upwardly formed at 31 forreenforcement. At the extreme end of strap portion 30 is another hook at32.

The portion of strap 26 below the first mentioned hook 27 normally hangsvertically downwardly from the rear margins of the trough sections whenhook 27 is engaged therewith. At a distance from hook 27 which isaccurately determined with reference to the size of the trough sectionsto be clamped, there is a tongue 33 integrally cut from the strap 26,leaving a slot 34 therein. The slot is desirably longer than the tongue,as it receives the tool hereinafter to be described and also receives atits end portion 35 the hook 32 above described. The extreme end portion36 of the strap is slightly offset at 37 from the plane of the rest ofthe strap, this being of assistance in positioning it over the rollededges 22 of the eaves trough sections.

With the strap tongue 27 engaged with the rear beaded edges of thelapping sections 20 and 21, the second step in the clamping operationinvolves bending the strap around the eaves trough section. This willbring the tongue 33 into the angle beneath the telescoped beads 22 ofthe lapping trough sections.

The next step in the clamping operation is to bend the terminal endportion 36 of strap 26 over the rolled edges 22. The hook 32 is thenpassed through the slotted portion 35 and upset therebeneath, as shownin Fig. 8. At this point, the offset 37 is not tightly drawn against therolled edge 22, and there is considerable slack at 38 be neath tongue 33and between the strap 26 and the eaves trough sections.

At this point, we desirably commence the use of the special tool whichWe have devised to facilitate the final clamping operation. One channelshaped handle 39 of the tool is bifurcated to provide laterally spacedjaw portions 40 which are outwardly flanged at 41 to constitute saddleswhich fit over the beads 22. As shown in the sectional views, the handle39 is a channel and bifurcation is achieved by simply cutting away itscentral web at 42. See Figs. 3, 4 and 6.

Pivoted to jaw 40 upon pintle 44 is another handle 45 from whichprojects a forming tool 46. The handle 45 extends beyond the pintle 44and is tapered and curved to constitute a piercing tool 47 which, asshown in Fig. 8, lies immediately beneath the telescoped beads 22 of thetrough section. In this position of the parts, the handle 45 is nearlyvertical and substantially at right angles to the handle 39. The nextstep in the forming operation is to oscillate handle 45 clockwise, asviewed in Fig. 9, to force the piercing tool 47 through the walls of thelapping troughs immediately beneath their beads 22 and immediately abovethe strap tongue 33. The jaw 40 remains with its saddle portion bearingon the top of the beads to support the tool during this operation.

Handle 45 is then oscillated counterclockwise to the position of Fig.10, thereby retracting the piercing tool 3 47 from the work. 'Theoperator then manipulates another handle 50 of the tool, which handlehas heretofore been inactive. This handle is pivoted at 51 to the jaws40 and is normally held in a raised position with respect .to handle 39by means of spring 52 which encircles pintle '51, 'as shown in Figs. .10and 11.

The handle 50 comprises an inverted channel, the web of which is cutaway at 53 to provide clearance for the movement of the piercing tool47. The handle 50 is thus bifurcated at its free end and formed toprovide laterally spaced upwardly curving jaws at 54. In the operationshown in Fig. 10, these jaws have engaged the portions of strap 26 atopposite sides of tongue 33 and have forced the strap upwardly into theangle beneath the beads '22, thereby forcing the tongue 33 to enter theaperture 55 punched in the eaves trough sections by the piercing tool47. With the saddle flanges 41 securely resting on top of the rollededges 22, a powerful clamping eflect can be exerted by the opposing jaws54 to mold the strap securely and snugly to the contours of the troughsection and the rolled edges thereof. The offset 37, originally providedin the strap at opposite sides of its aperture 35, is now snugly fittedto the inner surfaces 'of the rolled edges 22, as shown in Fig. 10, andthe end of the strap 36 is drawn tight within the revcrsely bent hook32.

The operator will retain his clamping manual pressure upon handles 39and 50 to hold the strap snugly to the trough sections, as abovedescribed, and with his other hand, the operator will now oscillatehandle lever 45 counterclockwise as shown by the arrow in Fig. 11. Theforming tool 46, which is riveted to the handle and constitutes aforward extension thereof, now moves through the slot 34 of the strapinto engagement with tongue 33 and forces the tongue sharply downwardlyin contact with the inner surface of the inner eaves trough section 20to complete the clamping operation, as shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 13. Theclamping pressure exerted by the normally opened jaws 40 and 54 is thenrelaxed and the handles 39 and 50 are urged apart by the spring 52 torelease the completed work. The angle formed in the clamping strap 26 at55 by the jaws 54 is securely anchored beneath the rolled edges 22 bythe upset hook 133. The resulting joint is permanent and leak proof.

As a simple means of making the forming tool 46 which upsets tongue 33,I may use a strip of metal which is curled backwardly upon itself at 56.

While the tool has been generally described in connection with the abovediscussion of its use, reference to the detailed illustration of thetool in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, will disclose preferred details ofconstruction.

The jaws 44) of handle 39 are reenforced by welding to their inner facesplates 58, as best shown in Fig. and Fig. 6. Each of these platesdesirably comprises an inwardly turned flange at 59 arcuately formed, asshown at 60 in Fig. 6, to form an inward extension of the saddle formedby outwardly turned flanges 41, thus broadening the area of saddlecontact with the rolled edge of the-outer trough section.

The tucking jaws 54 are desirably made quite wide to extend for asubstantial distance longitudinally of the eaves trough, this being doneby twisting the side flanges of the channel comprising handle lever 50.The twisted form of these jaws clearly appears in Figs. 2 and 6 andtheir width is best shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The piercing tool 47, carried by handle '45, is desirably asymmetricallybeveled, its point being located at one side thereof, as shown in Figs.1 and 3. Another feature of the piercing tool consists in the fact thatits lower surface is desirably channeled at 62, as best shown in Figs. 1and 7. The slot pierced in the lapping trough sections tends to -equalin depth the overall thickness of the piercing tool at its side flanges63, leaving clearance within the slot 62 for the entry and guidance ofthe tongue 33 of the clamping-strap. Fig. 9 shows the piercing tool inposition in the trough and the tongue 33 disposed in a position tofollow channel 62 when the strap is deformed by the chisel edged tuckingjaws 54.

We claim:

1. A tool for applying a 'tongued eaves trough clamp to lapping eavestrough sections having rolled edges, said tool comprising a first handlebifurcated and provided with laterally spaced jaws, said jawsconstituting a saddle applicable to the rolled trough edges, a secondhandle having a piercing tool disposed between the jaws first mentionedand pivoted thereto, said tool being curved to extend about the rollededges of the trough sections and comprising means for piercing thesections immediately beneath said edges upon movement of the secondhandle in one direction, and a third handle bifurcated and provided witha pair of jaws pivoted to the jaws first mentioned adjacent the firsthandle, the last mentioned jaws being opposed to the saddle jaws andcomprising means to form said clamp upwardly, beneath said rolled edgesand force said tongue through the opening pierced by said piercing tool.

2. The tool of claim 1 in which the second handle is provided with atongue-deforming tool at the opposite side of the pivot from saidpiercing tool and operable upon its pivo't in an opposite direction ofmovement of the second handle to deform a tongue forced through saidpierced trough sections .by the jaws on the third handle.

3. The tool of claim 1 in which said piercing tool is channel shaped incross section to receive said tongue in said channel in the course .ofits passage through the pierced 'openingin'said trough sectionnotwithstanding the presence of said piercing .tool in said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,306,920 Miller June 17, 1919 1,355,465 Gibbons Oct. 12, 1920 1,570,708R'oush Jan. 26, 1926 1,624,556 Marshall Apr. 12, 1927 1,911,036 PhenixMay 23, 1933

